Morning-after pill appeal to be dropped

After setting off a storm of criticism from abortion rights groups upset that a Democratic president had sided with social conservatives, the Obama administration said it will comply with a judge's order to allow girls of any age to buy emergency contraception without prescriptions.

According to the department's letter to the judge, the Food and Drug Administration has told the maker of the pills to submit a new drug application with proposed labeling that would permit it to be sold "without a prescription and without age or point-of-sale prescriptions." The FDA said that once it receives the application, it "intends to approve it promptly."

The pill could soon be available at your local pharmacy with no restrictions as to who could get it.

Plan B will be sold to girls and women regardless of their age and whether or not they have seen a doctor.

The federal government dropped its appeal of a judge's order requiring the morning after pill be sold over the counter.

The White House's decision to give up its fight is being applauded by women's rights groups.

“This is as safe as aspirin and its certainly as safe as condoms and so it should be on the shelves for whatever woman needs to take it,” says Judy Waxman of the National Women's Law Center.

This pill can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours after sex.

President Barack Obama had been trying since he took office to prevent the selling of these pills to girls under the age of 15

Many conservative groups says there needs to be more supervision about who is buying these pills.

“To allow over the counter access, unfettered over the counter access to teens really takes away that communication between teens and parents and teens and their doctors,” says Anna Higgins of the Family Research Council.